Lesser known but wonderful childrens story/picture books?

[ForMashGetSmash]

I was thinking the other day that there must be many, many unsung childrens story books which deserve recognition and sharing...so has anyone got any faves that they would like to share?

Now I can't think of my own! One which comes to mind may not be that unknown but I bought it at one of those cheapo bookshops where the books which don't sell end up, it's called Knuffle Bunny by Mo Willem but now I have googled it I see that it's very popular!

However..I am on the scrounge for your best recomendations other than the usual best known things...

www.amazon.co.uk/Knuffle-Bunny-Mo-Willems/dp/1844280594

Well I love a book called 'tanka tanka skunk' - not a story but a rhyme, fab pictures and it's great to read aloud. My DD loves it and iirc it fits in with EYFS music.

Books that we adore, but may not be on your bookshelf:

Hippos Go Beserk - for younger children.

Penguin - but actually this is fairly popular.

Doing the Animal Bop - gorgeous alliteration, lovely drawings, my dd loved this when she was small.

Little Bear's Trousers is a really sweet story with beautiful illustration.

May think of more later. How old are your dc OP?

we have penguin too, it's fantastic.

Great thread idea btw. Will try to think of more later.

Stanley Bones was a great favourite of my DS, the illustrations are full of subtle detail, and the text has some sneaky humour, way better than the torment of (for example) Thomas the Tank. This link takes you to the illustrators web-site to show the pix.

www.nicwatts-illustrator.com/about-orig.htm
'nother try at the web-site

This is my 3yr old dd's current favourite cinderella rhyming book

She also loves Some Dogs Do by Jez Alborough but that's pretty popular I think.

Emily Gravett is an amazing author/illustrator who doesn't seem to be nearly as well known as she should be.

I always think Margaret Mahy ia underrated/publicised too - The Man whose mother was a Pirate is just amazing, but she writes brilliantly for all ages

I like Beware of the Giant-Killers :)

The Flying Postman by Violet Drummond was my favourite book when I was a small child according to my dad who I made read it over and over again. Its a story about a postman who delivers from a plane and (i think) causes some sort of accident or damage and gets sacked. He starts growing strawberries instead and ends up selling strawberry ice-cream. I just tried googling it and you cant get it for less than about £20 now!

We loved 17 Kings and 42 Elephants - lovely rhyme and story and beautifully illustrated.

Monkey and me - ]]v sweet and lovely illusrations [[http://www.amazon.co.uk/Monkey-Me-Emily-Gravett/dp/0230015832/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1289403841&sr=1-1
Who are you stripy horse? gorgeous www.amazon.co.uk/Who-are-You-Stripy-Horse/dp/140522729X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1289403815&sr=1-1
and
The baby who wouldn't go to bed - absolutely stunning pictures - I know the Pumpkin soup boks are quite well known but this is much better IMO www.amazon.co.uk/Baby-Who-Wouldnt-Go-Bed/dp/0385407939/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1289403727&sr=8-4

Forgot closing brackets for monkey and me link
www.amazon.co.uk/Monkey-Me-Emily-Gravett/dp/0230015832/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1289403841&sr=1-1

Martin Waddell and Barbara Firth do a lovely series about bears; here's the one we got first.

this is wonderful the pictures are so gorgeous - DS loves it.

And The Night Pirates is brilliant.

There Are Cats in This Book by Vivienne Schwartz (IIRC) is funny, engaging and a joy

Hippos go berserk v. popular in our house too.

Also i think the book 'My Dad' is fab and a fab present for a dadf from a child...there is a 'My Mum' one too. Think they are by anthony Browne.

"Smelly Bill" is a favourite in this house

Naughty Bus by Jan Oke is wonderful, the pictures are done in Photoshop rather than drawn, and it's really engaging - but for some reason it's sold mostly in art gallery book shops - mainstream shops and libraries never have it.
DS insisted on having The three little wolves and the big bad pig read to him for night after night after night, but even after the thirtieth time I still giggled about the kind hearted rhinoceros letting them have some plexi-glass and reinforced steel padlocks.

ooh...I went away because there were no replies for a while! I will check all the suggestions and see if I can think of more!

we love this one and I don't know anyone else who has a copy

www.amazon.co.uk/Horatio-Happened-Kathryn-Cave/dp/0340722681/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1289471158&sr=8-1

www.amazon.co.uk/Dont-Let-Pigeon-Drive-Bus/dp/1844285138/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1289471295&sr=1-1 which makes my youngest giggle for hours.

www.amazon.com/One-Hungry-Monster-Counting-Rhyme/dp/0316608041

This one is great...I can only see it on Amazon US though...which is funny because we got ours in the UK...great pics..v funny and non-scary monsters!

cgi.ebay.co.uk/three-monsters-big-night-out-/160501488361

and this one is FAB! Three monsters are sad because no childre believe in them anymore...they go out one night to convince people of the truth...and make a friend of a little girl who love monsters.

Oh that one looks lovley Tiki....